Social and ethical issues

• Vulnerability of networks to intrusion
• Ability to implement different levels of access
• Implications of network failure on, for example, banks, transportations, hospitals, schools
• Implications of collaboration, groupware and data sharing
• Threat of compromising data integrity in shared databases
• Additional threats to privacy on a network compared with stand-alone computers
• The need to authenticate information
• Intellectual property protection on networks, for example, site licenses, file access
• Equality of access for different groups and individuals
• Ability to monitor users (surveillance); concerns of people regarding monitoring
• Ability to filter incoming data
• Ability to control personal, business, military, government operations over a wide geographical area
• Increased globalization, for example, EFT, EDI, e-commerce
• Need for interface standards
• Need for network use policy

Knowledge of technology

• Key terms -- LAN, WAN, client, server, Ethernet, access, access permissions, login, password, firewall, sysadmin, UPS, EDI
• Types of intrustion, for example, viruses, hacking, phreaking
• Security measures
• Network types, for example, intranet, internet, VPN
• Encryption and SSL
• e-commerce

• Key terms
  • LAN (Local Area Network) -- A network confined to a small area, usually within the range of a wireless-G router
  • WAN (Wide Area Network) -- A network that is not confined. This generally expands to much larger than a LAN but not usually more than a few miles
  • Server -- A computer that controls a network. It decides which computers get priority of access and is usually where files are stored
  • Client -- Any computer that connects to a server. This can be a mobile device, netbook, notebook, desktop computer, workstation, or even another server
  • Ethernet -- A standard of communication between networks via cable
  • Access --
  • Access permissions -- anyone's ability to modify a file or do something with a client or server
  • Login -- To authenticate oneself, gaining access to the network up to your access permissions. This is also the publicly viewable name used to authenticate
  • Password -- A secret arrangment of characters that, together with the username, authenticate a user and allow him to gain access to a network
  • Firewall -- a software program, usually run on the server, that prevents certain data from going into or out of the network or within the network
  • Sysadmin -- the administrator of the network that has access permissions to everything. This person decides everyone's access permissions, runs appropriate backups, and handles crashes.
  • UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) -- a device that provides power to a computer in the event of a power failure to prevent data loss. Usually when this device is activated, neccessary measures are taken to shut down the network
  • EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) -- A set of specifications for conducting basic business transactions over private networks
• Types of intrustion
  • Viruses -- programs designed to replicate themselves within a network, causing damage or innappropriate access to information
  • Hacking -- the process of learning how a computer works by taking it apart or studying the source code to the software
  • Cracking -- gaining illegal access to a network or information therein
  • Phreaking -- using telecommunications to obtain personal information. One of the most common of these is the use of Bluetooth to eavsdrop on someone's conversation
• Security measures -- measures taken to prevent intrusion
• Network types
  • Intranet -- a network that has the capability for computers to access each other similar to the internet only in a more defined space
  • An internet -- a wide network of computers
  • The Internet -- a very large internet that contains the World Wide Web, e-mail, and a lot of other services
  • VPN -- a network that provides access to a remote intranet only to authenticated people
  • Broadband -- a network that uses cell signals to connect to computers
• Encryption and SSL
  • Encryption -- the process of taking data and converting it into something that only an authenticated user can read
• e-commerce -- Trade that takes place via the Internet. This can include ordinary purchases, second-hand selling, and service exchange